"Give me the storm and tempest of thought and action, rather than the dead calm of ignorance and faith! Banish me from Eden when you will; but first let me eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge!" |
Today we celebrate the 190th birthday of Robert Green Ingersoll. The Center for Inquiry is the caretaker of Ingersoll's birthplace home in Dresden, New York, and we consider it an honor to be the guardians of The Great Agnostic's early home and personal artifacts.
Although Ingersoll's name has, sadly, been lost to history for many Americans, he was a celebrity in his time and remains a hero to freethinkers everywhere. He crisscrossed the country delivering nearly 1,500 speeches on freethought, reform, politics, and the arts to sold-out audiences that sometimes numbered in the tens of thousands! These speeches were three to four hours in length and were delivered by memory.
He was, for all intents and purposes, a rockstar in the Victorian era. In fact, during his time, no human being had been seen or heard by more Americans—or would be until the advent of motion pictures, radio, and television.
Although Ingersoll is no longer with us, CFI has picked up the torch of reason and freethought and carries it forward in his name. |
Today, on the anniversary of his birth, we have an opportunity to reflect on how far we have come since Ingersoll's legendary life—and yet how far we still have to go.
At this very moment, we find ourselves in the midst of a populist movement—fueled by the ideology of Christian nationalism and determined to dismantle the institutions of American democracy. I am reminded of the words of Robert Green Ingersoll, words that I wish would enter the hearts and minds of those who are so lost to their religion that they have forgotten their oath to the Constitution and their commitment to freedom of conscience … for all. He states:
The truth is, our government is not founded upon the rights of gods, but upon the rights of men. Our Constitution was framed, not to declare and uphold the deity of Christ, but the sacredness of humanity. Ours is the first government made by the people and for the people. It is the only nation with which the gods have had nothing to do. And yet there are some judges dishonest and cowardly enough to solemnly decide that this is a Christian country, and that our free institutions are based upon the infamous laws of Jehovah. Robert Green Ingersoll, "Individuality" (1873) from "The Gods and Other Lectures"
It shocks me that Ingersoll's words are as true and applicable today as they were over 100 years ago. I wish that we could celebrate this birthday milestone by proclaiming, "job done," but we still have many miles to go.
We will continue to work toward Ingersoll's and CFI's shared vision of a better world where people confront challenges using the tools of science and reason guided by compassion and respect for the dignity of every individual.
If you share this vision, I hope you will partner with us by making a donation to this important work.
And, if the name Robert Green Ingersoll is new to you, I hope you will learn more about this great man by reading this brief biography or by viewing this video.
Thank you for all you do for CFI and for taking a moment to honor the life and legacy of the "most remarkable man most people never heard of," Robert Green Ingersoll.
Yours in reason, |
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Debbie Allen
Director of Development, Center for Inquiry |
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